How much to live on

Time4T_Accounts

One of the (many) good things about retirement is having the time to make my own bread (ok, then : to put the ingredients in the bread making machine!).  You get to choose the ingredients (within reason), and to choose the proportions - it’s no longer white -v- brown. And it saves a little bit of cash as well!

Tabby_cat

Steve_PL_too said:

... And it saves a little bit of cash as well!

Does it really save you money? I'm really interested to know. I thought about doing the same when I retired but decided that, as homemade bread doesn't have any preservatives compared with the Hovis I buy, I'd be making it more often so the savings didn't add up. Unless you only buy uncut bakery loaves and then you may have a point. Of course, from a taste point of view, you're winning hands down.

Silvertabby

Tabby_cat said:

Steve_PL_too said:

... And it saves a little bit of cash as well!

Does it really save you money? I'm really interested to know. I thought about doing the same when I retired but decided that, as homemade bread doesn't have any preservatives compared with the Hovis I buy, I'd be making it more often so the savings didn't add up. Unless you only buy uncut bakery loaves and then you may have a point. Of course, from a taste point of view, you're winning hands down.

Tried that, but it was a loss maker.  As we only eat wholemeal/granary the breadmaker took hours to run its cycle.

Then the bread was only edible for one day.  Far too much for just 2 of us to eat, but by day 2 it was so hard even the starlings wouldn't touch it!

May be different for a large family, who will eat the lot - but do check the machine run times before you buy.  You'll find they are much longer than you'd expect.

Time4T_Accounts

Approximately 35p for flour, maybe 10-20p for nuts (I usually use a mixture of sunflower and poppy seeds, though I’m using much more expensive pine kernels at the mo’.), coppers for yeast, salt and sugar, water and maybe 25p for olive oil.  So, we’ll under a quid for ingredients.  Then it’s gas for a few minutes to ‘toast’ the nuts; the microwave for 20 seconds to bring the water to lukewarm, and then the electricity to bake it.  It takes a tad under three hours, but a decent chunk of that is resting & proving. I suspect it ends up at around maybe £1.10-ish.  I guess I also have to factor in some depreciation for the machine (I paid about £45 for it, but you can spend a whole lot more than that), and also the dishwasher space that gets used. Much nicer than shop bought - except maybe the >£3 so-called artisan breads.  

Yes, the bread does go dry very quickly - but (and there are only 2 of us), it makes delicious toast : we eat it over 3 to 4 days.  Finally, I find it enjoyable to do (15 minutes from starting to get the ingredients out of the cupboard through to cleaning up afterwards)!

QrizB

We had breadmakers for a long time, managed to wear three out! Haven't made out own for almost a decade now but keep thinking about getting back into it.

(Last looked during lockdown when you couldn't buy a breadmaker for love nor money.)

Tabby_cat

Steve_PL_too said:

Finally, I find it enjoyable to do (15 minutes from starting to get the ingredients out of the cupboard through to cleaning up afterwards)!

Thanks for the breakdown. I think your last comment is the most important. I grow vegetables. Do I save much, probably not. Do they taste better, undoubtedly. If the last couple of years have taught us anything, you need to get grab the small pleasures where you can. I may look out for a second hand bread maker and give it a go.

silverwhistle

Tabby_cat said:

 Of course, from a taste point of view, you're winning hands down.

Surely that's why most of us make HM bread? I use the oven and tend to make more than one item: a foccaccia, a tin loaf or a boule or two, one of which I give to my friend to take away. Although I use baker's yeast I also have a sour dough culture I use from Freshly Fermented (no connection) and this has just reminded me that I'd like to try a different one. Currently use a Hampshire culture but would like to try a San Francisco one.

It does help having solar panels, so I keep an eye on the weather if I want to do do a lot of batch baking, but if I really feel like some bread I don't stint myself.

[Deleted User]

Good morning all. From Wednesday I will be taking my Lenten break from these boards. Hopefully I will be back on April 17th to catch up with news and views. I will also by then have made my decision about whether or not to extend my very part time temporary  time contract after April 8th. So when I next post I could be fully retired!

I have looked at the figures and my current c£20000gross per annum should suffice for a couple of years until SP kicks in in July 2024. I have no debt, own my house and have a reasonable back up for emergencies.
Take care everyone. 

moving_forward

You take care too @[Deleted User].  Look forward to the post Lenten update and all the best with your retirement choices.

GunJack

Tabby_cat said:

Steve_PL_too said:

... And it saves a little bit of cash as well!

 Of course, from a taste point of view, you're winning hands down.

Sounds like it'd be slightly more than what I often describe as the best bread I've ever had (and that includes some home-made) - Lidl's Malted Bloomer coming in at £1.... if you like granary-type bread, this is the mutt's nuts